Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala has revealed that he has reached a gentleman's agreement with his predecessor, Boni Khalwale, over the county's gubernatorial race.
The two are among politicians who have expressed interest in succeeding outgoing governor Wycliffe Oparanya, whose second term ends in August 2022.
Malala claimed that the two leaders will not contest the same seat in the upcoming General Election.
They also agreed to drum support for Deputy President William Ruto’s union with Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula.
“We have agreed with Khalwale, who is my senior. One of us will be the Senator while the other will be the Governor,” Malala revealed.
Speculations were rife on whether Malala and Khalwale will contest against each other despite being in the same team.
Analysts opined that fighting for the same seat could split Ruto's votes in the county, benefitting their key competitor from the Azimio la Umoja faction which enjoys the backing of incumbent governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
In mid-January 2022, however, Khalwale posted a photo alongside Malala captioned, “Pleased to have had lunch with Cleophas Malala of ANC Party.”
It is now clear that this meeting could have birthed the gentleman’s agreement between the two, who are strategising on locking out Raila Odinga's Azimio from the county succession race.
Their January meeting came a few days before the Ruto-Mudavadi’s merger at ANC’s National Delegates Conference at the Bomas of Kenya.
Ruto attended the event and followed it up with a joint rally in Nakuru that brought together UDA, ANC and Ford-Kenya aspirants.
The leaders, who are now popularising the Kenya Kwanza coalition, are set to hold yet another joint rally in Bungoma today, January 28.
